I don't really care about the graphics at all. The shining light / damning shame of it (whichever the case will be) will be with the non-linear side of the game. Many developers have tried it, but how many have actually managed it?
The knack is to get a scripted environment, loaded with enough variations and players choices that makes them 'feel' they are in an open-ended game.
Open ended games however, open up their own can of worms. Anyone remember Midwinter from the Amiga days? You were supposed to
befriend certain people, use certain equipment from all over the island and then finally complete the game. One issue they failed to stop (due to its open-endedness) was the fact that you could go straight from A through to Z - bypassing all the story elements and complete the game in around 15 minutes. Great concept that just totally self-imploded in practice.
Hope they do it justice though....
D.